A/N: Hmm, since Breaking the Skank Army is finally coming to a close, I've realized how much I've deviated from my original intentions. My next story will be much more planned out, I promise. Well, I guess at least I've learned from my mistakes. Onward! Oh, and just in case you didn't yet know, Harry Potter isn't mine. Otherwise I'd be rich. And my name would be JK Rowling. And I'd be a lot older. And..well, you get the point.
A few minutes after Hermione filled Draco in on what Dumbledore had told her, Madame Pomfrey let Draco leave the Hospital Wing. She hadn't berated them for their rather long display of affection, to which they were grateful. Hermione and Draco walked slowly back to the Head Dorms, hand in hand. There was a comfortable silence between them. No words were needed to make the moment great because simply being together was enough.
As they got closer to the dorms, Hermione grew thoughtful. She slightly bit her lower lip and her eyebrows furrowed. Draco sensed the mood shift from relaxed as he gave the portrait the password. They collapsed onto the couch that Draco usually slept on and he turned to her. Still holding her hand, he asked, "What's wrong, Hermione?"
She glanced up at him out of her reverie. "Nothing."
Draco didn't believe that for a moment, "Come on."
There was something in his eyes and the way the light seemed to make them dance with gentleness. And his sincere tone of voice that Hermione would never be able to deny.
"I'm angry," she said in a dejected voice.
"You don't sound angry. But what's wrong?"
Hermione bit her lip again. When she didn't speak again, Draco called her name, "Please tell me?"
The look was in his eyes again. Utmost concern, as if this were the most important subject. Hermione made the mistake of meeting those eyes and sighed, "Lavender, Pansy and Cho. They're just so…argg. Infuriating!" Now Hermione seemed mad.
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It was Saturday, one day after Draco woke up. The day destined to get revenge on the Populars. It was all planned out as Draco and Hermione walked into the Great Hall and went to their tables. A few minutes after they came in, Cho, Lavender, and Pansy came in too, looking as if they owned the school. Somehow all of Hogwarts knew exactly what had happened though Draco and Hermione hadn't told a soul. Students gave the Populars the cold shoulder as they passed, instead of the usual fawning and jealous looks.
After they sat down, fuming slightly because of the lack of attention, Draco pointed his wand discreetly at Pansy. Murmuring a curse that only he knew, and used upon her a long time ago, he gave her split ends. The tips of each strand of hair split into two. She shrieked and stood up as the quicker of the Hogwarts students got it, and shook with laughter. Pansy pointed at Malfoy as she shook with rage. "You!" she howled, "How dare you do this to me?!"
Cho and Lavender quickly came to her side, and Hermione rose to join Malfoy. Hermione coming over engraged Pansy even more, she was even turning red. Cho and Lavender pawed over Pansy's hair with sympathy. Hermione and Draco just rolled their eyes. Her mouth tight and set in a line, Pansy screeched a curse to make Malfoy take a blow to the stomach, but missed. Cho and Lavender squealed and hurried away as fast as their stilettos would let them. Malfoy was angry because the curse came closer to hitting Hermoine than him. He pushed Hermione protectively behind him, then gave Pansy boils. Pansy shrieked and became angrier.
If the girl could be any more mad, she would have exploded. She fired a spell that enlarged Draco's right foot at a dangerous rate. Hermione came out from behind him and crounched down, thinking of the counter curse at the same time that Malfoy made Pansy steadily grow fatter. That pushed her over the edge, "Draco Malfoy! You have taken everything away from me!! It's time for you to lose!!!" Anger clouded her eyes and pulsed through her veins. She pointed her fat hand at Hermione while she screamed, "AVADA KEDAVRA!"
Draco yelled "No!" as the green light jet out of Pansy's wand. Hurrying, he shielded Hermione with his own body.
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The image of Draco's face as he took the curse for her had been haunting Hermione's dreams. It had been a week since he was hit. Dumbledore had been keeping Draco in a corner bed of the Hospital Wing with the curtains closed. Why? Hermione didn't understand it. She couldn't bring herself to visit him like so many others have. She knew his heart wasn't beating. Nor would it beat again. She didn't want to have to look into his dead face and know that she was the reason.
The Populars were expelled. Pansy was even taken to Azkaban. As a student, she couldn't be there more than one month. But that should sufficiently scare her. It was morning time and Hermione and Ginny were curled up on the Gryffindor common room sofa in front of the crackling fire. Hermione couldn't bear to be in the Head Dorms where Bunky resided and the blankets on Draco's couch were still ruffled like he had just gotten up. It had seemed like so long ago. She had been zombie-like for the after Draco died. No one could blame her. She was like a shell-- empty. If you got her to exchange a few words with you, no matter the topic, she would just go back into her funk straight after. Her face was always void of any emotion, and her eyes never really focused. Ron was a little peeved, but kept his distance, Harry was completely clueless as to what he should do, and Ginny was concerned.
Tonight, Ginny had finally gotten Hermione to just sit with her and the redhead simply didn't know how to start the conversation. Out of the corner of her eye, Ginny could see Hermione blankly staring into the fire, and since recently, a normal, small frown upon her lips. "When are you going to snap out of it, Hermione?" the words came out harsher than Ginny expected, though Hermione didn't flinch. However, the latter did listlessly blink once at a speed that would be of a person that hadn't slept in close to a week. For all Ginny knew, Hermione hadn't.
Getting no response, Ginny went on, using the nickname Hermione hated, "Talk to me, Emmy."
"I dunno, Gin. I just feel… like I'm missing… a chunk of myself." Hermione answered in the same dull way she now talked.
"That's not healthy, Hermione. C'mon, tell me exactly how you feel. Everything. Get this off your chest."
Hermione sighed, then whispered, "I feel like I want to throw myself off of every highly-elevated tower on this campus. That would bring me to him. I would be with him. But I know I can't. I have to be here for everyone." Tears spilled over the rims of Hermione's eyes, and there were only more coming. "If it would just get rid of this pain for a moment."
After some silence, while just watching her best friend cry, Ginny whispered back, "How often? Does it hurt, I mean."
"It only hurts when I'm breathing."
"Help me."
"What'd you say, Gin?" Hermione was getting choked up. She could have sworn she just heard his voice, but Ginny was the only one around.
"I didn't say anything after you." Ginny said that at the same time that she heard, "Hermione," in her mind. It was his voice. She clutched her heart and tears streamed down her face. She was going crazy, but it felt great. Hermione felt that she could handle being insane as long as she got to hear his voice again. "Hermione."
Just for the hell of it, Hermione said back in her mind, "Yes?"
Ginny watched Hermione, concerned, "Hey, Hermione, you okay?"
"Shh, Ginny!"
Since this was the most life Ginny saw in Hermione in a while, so she complied.
"I need help Hermione. I'm in the Hospital Wing."
"I know, Draco. I know."
"They're going to give up on me. Please.."
"What Draco? Are you in pain?"
"I'll manage." Hermione almost laughed. Draco and his stupid pride. It's going to get him killed one day. Thinking that and knowing that he was already dead, Hermione started crying again.
"Please save me Hermione. Don't let them bury me."
Hermione gasped, "You're dead Draco!"
"No, I'm not Hermione. But I will be if they put me in a coffin."
"No. Please, don't do this." Hermione had gone through more excruciating pain than she ever thought she would have in her life. She didn't want to let her insanity drive her to the Hospital Wing so she could save a dead love.
"Hermione. You have to believe me. I need you. Save my life. Please."
Hermione contemplated this. She weighed out her options. She was insane, and the biggest part of her knew it. He had learned the mind speak that Ginny and her used. Yes, he had learned it as he lies in the Hospital Wing, dead. He wanted her to save his life…just like he had saved hers. So much pain. So much confusion. Hermione was basically going to risk her sanity. Thinking it through, Hermione realized that it didn't matter. Losing sanity was less than losing your life. With that thought in her mind, she sprinted out of the Gryffindor common room, hoping that it wasn't too late. Ginny stared after Hermione concerned and confused.
She had taken no more than five feet, when Draco called to her, "Hurry." There was some worry in his voice and Hermione almost collapsed, but pushed herself to go faster. "I'm coming, just hold on." As Hermione ran, she considered what would happen if they decided to let her save him. He would still need to wake up. Yes, the dead man needs to wake up. She was going against every logical argument in her brain, and acting on impulse. Maybe all he needed was a few seconds. That slight diversion so he could wake up. Yes, she just needed to slow them down. Maybe, by the time she got there, he'd be alive again.
She rounded the last corner and bolted into the Hospital Wing, almost trampling over Madame Pomfrey in her haste. Some medi-witches were crowded around the curtained bed, murmuring. One had her wand out and said the levitating charm. In a moment, Hermione would see his dead body. And she knew her heart would shatter some more, though she thought that was impossible. She considered just turning around and leaving. Saves her sanity. Saves her heart from more unbearable pain. "Hermione!"
"DRACO!" Hermione couldn't turn back now. "Wait! He's alive!!"
Madame Pomfrey muttered, "Oh no." Then she bustled into her office to summon Dumbledore as Hermione rushed at the nurses, exclaiming, "Put him down! He's alive!"
The nurses shook their heads, but complied. Hermione rushed to the bedside and looked into Draco's smooth, cold, lifeless face. It felt like someone was squeezing her heart. Hermione was breathless from both the run and the pain. She didn't know what to do now. "Fight it, Draco." She was speaking out loud and in her mind. Tears now streamed down her face again. She knew this wouldn't work. Not like the last time. Last time, Draco was still alive. Draco was dead. Hermione's heart sunk as she got no response in her head or out loud. She really was crazy.
Sobbing, Hermione turned away for the last time. He was never coming back. She was no longer hearing his voice in her head. Her cool zombie-like composure was creeping in again. And Hermione didn't fight it as she hung her head, tears streaming down her face, and dejectedly walked out of the room. "Hermione." More tears. Faster now. At least she got her insanity back. She exited the Hospital Wing and started heading back up to Gryffindor Tower. "Hermione!" His voice was haunting her. She wouldn't answer it anymore. "Hermione!" It was like a chant, and it was getting louder. If it got any more real, Hermione would collapse.
She couldn't see where she was going because of her tears, but soon bumped in to a strong figure. The tall figure wrapped its arms around her. Hermione would have been freaked out, but she didn't care. This embrace was familiar and Hermione needed comfort. Much of it. She wiped her eyes to see who it was. She was buried in his chest. Pale skin, rough yet smooth hands that she had felt so many time. Strong jaw line. Proud cheek bones. Grey green, intense, caring eyes. Pale blonde hair. It was Draco. Hermione couldn't believe it, but there was no denying this. He was really back. She tip toed up to him and kissed him. Hermione knew no other happiness. She didn't care if this was utterly impossible, but it couldn't just be her imagination.
Dumbledore cleared his throat and Hermione and Draco snapped apart. Both Head students couldn't keep the grin off of their faces. As logic won over, Hermione couldn't contain the question any longer. She asked Dumbledore, "How?"
Being as brilliant as he was, Dumbledore knew precisely what she was talking about and answered simply, "The answer to everything. Love."
In the next five minutes, somehow the news spread of Draco's miraculous recovery. What looked like the whole Slytherin house plus some students from other houses, including Harry, Ron, and Ginny, crowded around Draco, cheering and smiling. Excitement was in the air. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled and his cheeks wrinkled with his smile. Hermione was ecstatic. Draco paid no more mind to the attention given to him, but rather just gazed at Hermione. The reason Draco was alive and Hermione was alive was through love. The only thing he wanted, he held in his arms. He lowered his face to hers for another kiss, and the crowd got louder, though neither Draco nor Hermione paid any mind.
AN- Merry Christmas! This was the last chapter, hope you all enjoyed! I have two stories coming up soon that I'm really excited for. They're well-planned out so I'm predicting they'll be better than this… Please review! Peace!